NHK: Voting for the unified local elections, which is held once every four years, will begin at 4 a.m. on the 9th.
The first half of the voting day, including the gubernatorial election and the prefectural assembly election, will be held on the same day. The parties are aiming to gain seats in order to expand their power, believing that local councillors will be at the core of the national election campaign. NHK: A part of the preliminary program on the counting of votes will be reported in sign language.